Field Trips Wednesday April 24
In a group with a maximum of 25 participants, you will visit 3 to 5 schools during each field trip. In these schools, you will get a guided tour and more information about the greening of their schoolground.
Each field trip has its own way of getting there. The options are: by bus, by train, by bicycle, on foot or a combination. Below you can see which mode of transport is used.
Each field trip is linked to a theme. Some obvious, some mysterious. Be amazed!
Make your choice based on the theme, education level or assets of the schools you visit.
Be sure to read the practical information before making your choice. Each field trip includes a packed lunch.
Field trip 1, Northern Limburg province, theme: biodiversity
Method School Ondersteboven (primary school), Leopoldsburg
softening (> 1000 m2), greening with 133 native trees & shrubs, creative outdoor classroom, play forest, pond, construction corner, reclaimed paving slabs and loose nature materials, bioblitz, educational school green management
Kindergarten De Robbert, Hamont-Achel
natural play and learning landscape with flower meadow, running trail, outdoor classroom, construction corner, play hill, play water, vegetable beds, willow hut (wiglo) and natural football pitch
Biotechnicum (secondary school), Bocholt
Mini biotopes: pond, flowery grassland, pollarded trees, shrublands, dead hedges, vegetable garden, fruit trees. Design, monitoring and management with students. QR codes on various natural elements link to a website. This website is customizable and provides educational opportunities, both for secondary and adjacent elementary school students.
Kindergarten Klim-Op, Houthalen-Helchteren
climbing hills, natural play elements, vegetable garden, barefoot trail, school forest, indoor outdoor classrooms, forest class, Rummaging in nature
Practical Information
- Gather at 8:15, bus stop Koning Boudewijnlaan, near swimming pool Kapermolen, Hasselt
- Return at 16:00 approximately, Railway station and bus stop Koning Boudewijnlaan, Hasselt
- Transport: by bus
- Where to leave your luggage: at your hotel or take it on the bus
Field trip 2, Central Limburg province, theme: ecological corridors Genk
Kindergarten De Schom, Genk
feasible, creative greening with upgrading of existing green space, outdoor classrooms, school animals, deadwood play area, cross forest, ... Next phase planned.
Catholic Primary School Boxbergheide, Genk
climate trees on paved playground, tiny forest with water reclamation, moorland with outdoor classroom and camp building, support by school community and city council
Visitor center De Slagmolen
Lunch at visitor center De Maten, one of the oldest nature reserves in Belgium
Sint-Jozefsinstituut Bokrijk (secondary school), Genk
large, old, green school ground with recent actions (design and education) for ecological corridors
Cycling through Water
Practical Information
- Gather at 9:00, bus stop Koning Boudewijnlaan, near swimming pool Kapermolen, Hasselt
- Return at 16:00 approximately, Railway station and bus stop Koning Boudewijnlaan, Hasselt
- Transport: by bus and bike (20 km)
- Where to leave your luggage: at your hotel or take it on the bus
Field trip 3, Southern Limburg province, theme: participation
Kindergarten PAleiS, Diepenbeek
participatory implementation with teachers and supporters, play water, high-risk play, seeding of stony substrate, sustainable design, reduced conflict
Municipal Primary School, Diepenbeek
participatory implementation with teachers, parents and community, play water, play hill, outdoor classroom for preschoolers, center school, sustainable design choices
Wonderwijs (primary school), Alken
play hills, reinforce existing plantings, outdoor lesson, play forest, building camps, loose materials, wooded edge, tunnel hedge, flower meadow, construction corner, cooperative play corner, snack corner
Freinet School Het Wijdeland (primary school), Sint-Truiden
sloping play landscape, flower meadow, built-in amphitheater, vegetable beds, wickerwork, wiglo’s, discovery land, snack corner, dead hedge with resting corner, wadi
Practical Information
- Gather at 8:15, bus stop Koning Boudewijnlaan, near swimming pool Kapermolen, Hasselt
- Return at 15:00 approximately, Railway station and bus stop Koning Boudewijnlaan, Hasselt
- Transport: by bus
- Where to leave your luggage: at your hotel or take it on the bus
Field trip 4, Hasselt, theme: Capitol of the Limburg province
Provinciale Handelsschool (secondary school)
green rest areas, shade, outdoor classroom, connection to the natural environment, dealing with challenges such as cost and regulation, comprehensive follow-up project next school year
Het Atheneum (secondary school)
temporary classrooms are removed and replaced with a grassy area with picnic benches, educational herb spiral, monumental tree as an eye-catcher, fern trunk as wall covering
Het Kleine Atheneum (primary school)
softening, renovation of listed trees, green space, shared use with neighborhood, play features, seating areas, flower meadow, flower lawn, hedge, outdoor classroom
Catharina (primary school)
preschool gardens, play valley with play water, experience hedge, amphitheater, branch building corner, open to neighborhood, vegetable garden, chat corners
De Boomgaard (primary school)
softening, challenging play hill, boulder stones, play challenges, branch building corner, totem pole, flower meadows
Practical Information
- Gather at 9:00, City Hall ’t Scheep, Limburgplein 1, Hasselt
- Return at 16:00 approximately, City Hall ’t Scheep, Limburgplein 1, Hasselt
- Transport: on foot (about 8 kilometers)
- Where to leave your luggage: at your hotel or at City Hall ‘t Scheep
Field trip 5, Antwerp province, theme: Green Oasis
In cooperation with Antwerp province and MOS
With the project "Green Oases," schools in the province of Antwerp are de-paving and greening their playgrounds massively. With a reach of over 200 schools, accommodating around 75,000 pupils aged 3 to 18, schools are working to transform their outdoor spaces into green paradises. A Green Oasis provides more fun during playtime, enhanced education, peace, and a connection with nature, because growing up in a better environment also means a higher quality of life for every child.
The project is an initiative of the Province of Antwerp in collaboration with the Antwerp Regional Landscapes and MOS Antwerp.
SILA Westerlo
SILA Westerlo is a secondary school in the center of Westerlo . The students of the Erasmus project "Ecomentality" kickstarted the greening of the school after getting acquainted with permaculture and sustainable living during their joint activities with students from Hungary and Portugal. Together, they envisioned their dream playground and crafted a vision, wishlist, and plan. They opted to begin with a small green oasis. After the groundwork was completed, a planting day was organized at the school. It was a festive occasion, with all teachers and students pitching in.
Meanwhile, they aspire to further expand their greening efforts. They have already succeeded in convincing a sister school to also embark on creating a green oasis.
Institute Cardinal Van Roey - Vorselaar
The Kardinaal Van Roey Institute is a large secondary school situated alongside three other schools within a sprawling complex in the township of Vorselaar. All of these schools have embarked on the journey to green and soften their grounds, each at different stages of progress. Just two years ago, the playgrounds were predominantly concrete. The school recognized the importance of facilitating rainwater infiltration and thus embarked on a collaborative effort involving both teachers and students to shape a shared vision and wishlist. In place of the concrete, a walking path, sports field, and rain garden were established, and their unveiling was celebrated with a joyous picnic.
At KVRI zone is scheduled for groundworks later this year. The plans for this zone have been finalized and will be presented during our visit. The focus will be on softening an area spanning 1000m² to 1200m², prioritizing spaces for rest and relaxation. Additionally, there is an emphasis on selecting plant species that promote biodiversity.
GIBO Heide - Brasschaat
GIBO Heide is a municipal school in the town of Brasschaat. For Green Oases, GIBO Heide was the first project to finish and have a complete make-over. The project started a couple of years ago with an enthusiastic school team and active children and parents. To prepare themselves for the greening journey, they were helped by MOS Antwerp to sharpen their vision and broaden their support base. With the financial aid of the township, the province of Antwerp and an active parents’ group, the school started an intense collaboration with the local non-profit organisation Regional Landscape De Voorkempen, which resulted in a complete make-overof their schoolyard including a playing hill, a wadi to manage water infiltration, several playing structures and loads of shrubs, covering a big portion of the surface. The groundworks started during the summer of 2023 and in November of that yeaer the pupils planted nearly 650 shrubs, trees and other plants into the ground.
Kosmos (primary school), Antwerpen
The school is located in a city park. In the school vision, this park forms the basis for experiential and playful learning in and with nature. Daily contact with nature is important to them. Pillars addressed here are back-to-basics, communication, cooperation, critical thinking and creativity. What can you discover on the playgrounds? Construction playground, play hill, outdoor classroom, wadi, play leads for risky play and play with loose parts, ...
Practical Information
- Gather at 8:45, bus stop Koning Boudewijnlaan, near swimming pool Kapermolen, Hasselt
- Return at 17:30 approximately, Railway station and bus stop Koning Boudewijnlaan, Hasselt
- Transport: by bus
- Where to leave your luggage: at your hotel or take it on the bus
Field trip 6, City of Antwerp, theme: Metropole
In cooperation with Ecohuis and MOS Antwerp
Groenhout (secondary school)
A small experiential secondary school with a broad general education inspired by Piaget and Feuerstein in the middle of the city. Students, teachers but also the parents and neighbors of the school are strongly involved. The greening of the school and the entrance to the school were accomplished together. In the small playground, students have the opportunity to experiment with biotopes, plantboxes, climbing aids and natural structures. After 3 years of working on a climate-robust playground, the school is ready to evolve to a climate-conscious school. The school also organizes forest classes every year. Students get in direct contact with nature. Experiencing and experimenting is central.
Pulhof (primary school)
The green nature playground of this school is a dream for every child. On the adventure playground, children connect with nature, they explore with all their senses and they push their limits step by step.
Sint-Willebrord Heilige Familie (secondary school)
A secondary school with a commitment to both broad general education and employment. The school has already realized a vegetable garden, a willow tunnel and an outdoor classroom in the past. Students, parents and teachers were strongly involved in this. After this positive experience and the successes of the outdoor classroom, they want to soften, plant and provide sitting and hanging areas in a large area of the playground. The school wants to do as much as possible themselves and is committed to recovering materials. The design is currently being finalized and the shovel will go into the ground for the 2nd time in September.
Kosmos (primary school)
The school is located in a city park. In the school vision, this park forms the basis for experiential and playful learning in and with nature. Daily contact with nature is important to them. Pillars addressed here are back-to-basics, communication, cooperation, critical thinking and creativity. What can you discover on the playgrounds? Construction playground, play hill, outdoor classroom, wadi, play leads for risky play and play with loose parts, ...
Practical Information
- Gather at 8:15, Railway station, Hasselt
- Return at 17:30 approximately, Railway station and bus stop Koning Boudewijnlaan, Hasselt
- Transport: outward by train and bicycle; return by bus, together with field trip 5
- Where to leave your luggage: at your hotel or in lockers railway station Hasselt (Rates and prices for baggage lockers in stations | SNCB (belgiantrain.be) or pick up at railway station Hasselt and in bus field trip 5 (ends at the same school as this field trip).
Field trip 7, Heerlen and Maastricht (the Netherlands), theme: Schoolyard design
In cooperation with IVN Natuureducatie, Springzaad and CNME Maastricht
During this field trip we will visit one recently constructed green schoolyard in Hoensbroek (Heerlen) and two ‘older’ schoolyards in the city of Maastricht. The focus will be on design: how did we get from enthusiastic ideas to a practicable and healthy green schoolyard? We will see the implications for designing a public or non-public schoolyard and we take you to a very small yard with still plenty of possibilities. We give you an inside in the choice of (endemic) plants and trees chosen for the purpose of greening the yard, taking into account the wishes of European, municipal and commercial financiers. In short: You’ll get an inside on the do's and don'ts in design for three very different schoolyards!
Primary School De Mheyster, Heerlen
Tour of some design elements used for education and break/play: tiny forest, educational food forest, vegetable garden, pond, green schoolyard and a sports court in front of the school.
OBS Binnenstad (primary school), Maastricht
This visit will focus on the points of interest in construction and use at locations that are public or non-public, and what that means for plant choice.
Natural playground, renovated in 2022; a small playground with lots of potential; loose parts, water pump, varied greenery
KC Dynamiek (primary school), Maastricht
This visit will focus on the points of interest in construction and use at locations that are public or non-public, and what that means for plant choice.
Natural playground next to the school, used by the school; since three years semi public; parents and teachers organize activities together (support)
Practical Information
- Gather at 8:45, bus stop Koning Boudewijnlaan, near swimming pool Kapermolen, Hasselt
- Return at 16:30 approximately, Railway station and bus stop Koning Boudewijnlaan, Hasselt
- Transport: by bus
- Where to leave your luggage: at your hotel or take it on the bus
Field trip 8, Luik
In cooperation with Good Planet and Ose le vert
Ecole des Monts (primary school), Herstal
This school is located in a poor and multicultural neighborhood. The kids don't have a regular access to nature but they do at school!
Ecole Naniot (primary school) and Ecole communale de Xhovemont (primary school), Liège
Both schools are urban schools. One has created a real green cocoon and use a forest for outside learning whilst the other has removed some concrete from the playground and tries to increase the level of biodiversity in this area.
Ecole la Marelle (primary school), Amay
A school for children with special needs.
Practical Information
- Gather at 9:15, bus stop Koning Boudewijnlaan, near swimming pool Kapermolen, Hasselt
- Return at 17:00 approximately, Railway station and bus stop Koning Boudewijnlaan, Hasselt
- Transport: by bus
- Where to leave your luggage: at your hotel or take it on the bus